Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon (Printer-friendly)

Golden pan-seared salmon with rich garlic butter cream sauce and fresh herbs

# What you'll need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skinless or skin-on, pin bones removed
02 - ½ teaspoon salt
03 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce & Aromatics

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
08 - ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)

# Method:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets, skin-side down if using skin-on, and sear for 4 minutes. Flip and cook 2–3 minutes more until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet. Add garlic and shallot; sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Pour in white wine (or chicken broth), scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan. Simmer 2–3 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens.
06 - Add lemon juice, parsley, and dill. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
07 - Return salmon fillets to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes to reheat. Serve immediately, garnished with extra herbs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The restaurant quality sauce comes together in minutes but makes you look like you spent all day cooking
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day when that garlic butter really sinks into the fish
02 -
  • Overcooking salmon is the biggest mistake I see, so remember that the fish continues cooking even after you remove it from heat
  • The sauce looks terrifyingly thin right after adding cream but it thickens rapidly once the Parmesan melts in
03 -
  • Room temperature salmon sears more evenly, so let it sit out for 20 minutes before cooking
  • Keep a close eye on the garlic once it hits the pan, because burned garlic ruins everything instantly

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